TRW Unveils Adaptive Side Impact Solutions

LIVONIA, Mich., May 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- TRW Automotive Holdings Corp. (NYSE: TRW) today unveiled innovative side impact solutions that help adapt occupant protection to the variables of a crash including occupant size and crash severity.

Two primary examples are the 3D Side Airbag and the Inward Side Impact Airbag (SIAB). Both are designed to result in rapid deployment to protect a full spectrum of passengers in outboard seating positions.

"As with frontal airbags, TRW is continuously seeking to develop technologies that adjust according to the unique variables of seat position, passenger size and position, the amount of energy created from the crash pulse and more," said Norbert Kagerer, vice president, engineering, TRW Occupant Safety Systems.

"Side protection is particularly challenging given the very small amount of time in which the crash must be sensed and the airbag deployed – typically in the 15 to 20 millisecond range – so anything we can do to help safely speed up the time in which the airbag contacts the body is potentially very valuable."

The inward SIAB configuration – that deploys through a seam in the seat and uses the seat foam as further cushion – offers a number of benefits across crash scenarios.  Tests show that it delivers improved homogeneous restraint values across body regions and the amount of time between crash sensing and occupant restraint has been lowered.  The new inward SIAB also has positioning and packaging advantages in tight vehicle cabins such as small cars.  

The three-dimensional side airbag designs can offer the potential for more rapid contact with the occupant in side crashes and tests have shown significant improvement in restraint performance. The 3D airbag has also exhibited a good balance in meeting the test criteria for both pole and barrier tests, due to increased contact area with the occupant. This may also allow for further adaptability through the use of lower pressure levels when appropriate.

"TRW remains a leader in the design and development of side and curtain airbags with the aim of helping to protect passengers across a wide range of vehicles, passengers and crash types. These new side impact designs demonstrate our continuing commitment to the occupant safety market and we expect that advances in the active safety front that can predict a potentially imminent crash before it occurs will help to further enhance side impact protection," Kagerer concluded.

About TRW

With 2009 sales of $11.6 billion, TRW Automotive ranks among the world's leading automotive suppliers. Headquartered in Livonia, Michigan, USA, the Company, through its subsidiaries, operates in 26 countries and employs over 60,000 people worldwide.  TRW Automotive products include integrated vehicle control and driver assist systems, braking systems, steering systems, suspension systems, occupant safety systems (seat belts and airbags), electronics, engine components, fastening systems and aftermarket replacement parts and services.  All references to "TRW Automotive", "TRW" or the "Company" in this press release refer to TRW Automotive Holdings Corp. and its subsidiaries, unless otherwise indicated.  TRW Automotive news is available on the internet at www.trw.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains statements that are not statements of historical fact, but instead are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  We caution readers not to place undue reliance on these statements, which speak only as of the date hereof.  All forward-looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties which can cause our actual results to differ materially from those suggested by the forward-looking statements, including those set forth in our Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2009 (our "Form 10-K"), such as: the financial condition of our customers adversely affecting us or the viability of our supply base; disruptions in the financial markets adversely impacting the availability and cost of credit negatively affecting our business; any shortage of supplies adversely affecting us; any further material contraction in automotive sales and production adversely affecting our results, liquidity or the viability of our supply base; escalating pricing pressures from our customers; commodity inflationary pressures adversely affecting our profitability or supply base; our dependence on our largest customers; costs of product liability, warranty and recall claims and efforts by customers to adversely alter contract terms and conditions concerning warranty and recall participation; costs or liabilities relating to environmental, health and safety regulations; limitations on available cash and access to additional capital due to our substantial debt;  strengthening of the U.S. dollar and other foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations impacting our results; any increase in the expense of our pension and other postretirement benefits or the funding requirements of our pension plans; risks associated with non-U.S. operations, including foreign exchange risks and economic uncertainty in some regions; work stoppages or other labor issues at our facilities or at the facilities of our customers or suppliers; assertions by or against us relating to intellectual property rights; the possibility that our largest stockholder's interests will conflict with our or our other stockholders' interests; and other risks and uncertainties set forth in our Form 10-K and in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We do not undertake any obligation to release publicly any update or revision to any of the forward-looking statements.

SOURCE TRW Automotive Holdings Corp.